Pepsi Co has committed to provide over 5 million meals and 25,000 COVID-19 testing kits for India. The food and beverage major is looking to achieve this target with the help of PepsiCo Foundation, its philanthropic wing.

PepsiCo India president Ahmed ElSheikh said the country is facing an unprecedented challenge like the rest of the world and it is the need of the hour to provide meals to the economically weaker sections and testing kits to diagnostic units. A company statement also quoted AlSheikh as saying that the company is committed to providing support to the central as well as state governments in the fight against the deadly virus.

Representational Image.Reuters

According to the statement, Pepsico will partner with Akshaya Patra Foundation for distributing cooked meals. Besides, it has collaborated with Smile Foundation for distributing dry food ration to support meals for over 8,000 vulnerable families which have been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.

This philanthropic activity is being undertaken as part of the company’s 'Give Meals, Give Hope' global programme.

It has joined hands with non-profit organisation Foundation of Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), WHO’s collaborating centre for laboratory strengthening and diagnostic technology evaluation, for donating 25,000 testing kits. FIND works in collaboration with the Indian government.

The testing kits will be sent to public and private healthcare laboratories identified by the Indian government to increase COVID-19 testing.
In order to generate more funds, Pepsico has launched a double matching gifts programme under which its employees can also extend their support to communities impacted by novel coronavirus.

To further mobilize funds, the company said it has also launched a double matching gifts programme under which PepsiCo Foundation will match all employee donations by two-fold and give the total accumulated fund to the NGO partners working with the company.

India is not the only country where the company is making donations to fight Covid-19. Pepsico is providing protective gear to healthcare workers, testing and screening services across the world. It also aims to offer 50 million meals through various partnerships.

There are over 4,000 confirmed cases in India while over a 100 people have succumbed to the disease.